A hinge structure for pivotably connecting a plurality of housings has conventionally been employed in a foldable electronic device or the like.
Exemplary embodiments provide a hinge structure capable of achieving improved durability and an electronic device including the same.
An exemplary embodiment provides a hinge structure including a hinge pin having a first member and a second member having one end surface and the other end surface provided at a distance from each other in an axial direction, having a protrusion portion provided to protrude from one end surface in the axial direction, arranged to be opposed to the first member at the other end surface, and being pivotable with respect to the first member, and a hinge pin reception portion having a recess portion fitting to a part of the second member and the protrusion portion of the hinge pin. The protrusion portion has a first surface portion extending in a radial direction of the second member. The recess portion has a second surface portion which can be engaged with the first surface portion.
According to the exemplary embodiment, a part of the second member and the protrusion portion fit to the recess portion. Therefore, in pivoting the second member with respect to the first member, load applied to the hinge pin reception portion can be distributed to parts of the recess portion fitted to the part of the second member and the protrusion portion. By thus distributing load applied to the hinge pin reception portion, durability of the hinge structure can be improved.
In addition, the second surface portion engaged with the first surface portion protruding from one end surface in the axial direction and extending in the radial direction of the second member can receive load during pivot of the second member with respect to the first member. Namely, since a surface of the second surface portion can receive load in a direction of pivot, load applied to the second surface portion can be distributed. By thus distributing load applied to the hinge pin reception portion, durability of the hinge structure can be improved.
An exemplary embodiment is constructed to suppress pivot of the second member with respect to the hinge pin reception portion owing to engagement of the first and second surface portions with each other. As the first surface portion and the second surface portion are engaged with each other, pivot of the second member with respect to the hinge pin reception portion is suppressed and hence the second surface portion can receive load. Therefore, since the surface of the second surface portion can receive load in a direction of pivot, load applied to the second surface portion can be distributed.
In an exemplary embodiment, the first surface portion includes a right rotation abutment surface abutting to the second surface portion when the hinge pin rotates to the right around the axial direction and a left rotation abutment surface abutting to the second surface portion when the hinge pin rotates to the left around the axial direction. The right rotation abutment surface can distribute load applied to the hinge pin reception portion during rotation to the right and the left rotation abutment surface can distribute load applied to the hinge pin reception portion during rotation to the left. Therefore, in any of rotation to the right and rotation to the left, load applied to the hinge pin reception portion can be distributed.
In an exemplary embodiment, the protrusion portion is constructed such that a portion defining the right rotation abutment surface and a portion defining the left rotation abutment surface are linked to each other. Therefore, the protrusion portion can integrally be formed such that the portion defining the right rotation abutment surface and the portion defining the left rotation abutment surface are linked to each other. Thus, strength of the protrusion portion can be improved.
In an exemplary embodiment, the protrusion portion has a shape asymmetric with respect to a center of one end surface. Therefore, even when load is different depending on a direction of pivot, the protrusion portion can be formed in accordance with load.
In an exemplary embodiment, the recess portion is provided to expose a part of the protrusion portion. Therefore, engagement between the protrusion portion and the recess portion can visually be checked. Therefore, the protrusion portion and the recess portion can reliably be fitted to each other.
An exemplary embodiment provides an electronic device including the hinge structure above, a first housing to which a hinge pin is attached, and a second housing to which a hinge pin reception portion is attached. Thus, an electronic device including a hinge structure capable of achieving improved durability can be provided.
The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the exemplary embodiments will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.